Affordable Relationship Counseling: Quick Tips in Choosing Your ...

April 6, 2012 by barbararc

As a licensed marriage and family therapist in the heart of San Diego, Dr.?Barbara Cunningham enjoys a busy and interesting private practice. Research has shown that couples who are experiencing difficulties in their relationship wait an average of 6 years before seeking marriage counseling. The sooner a couple seeks help, the better the prognosis to return the couple to a state of harmony and mutual fulfillment and perhaps even take the couple to an even better place than they may have been before presenting problems emerged. Listed below are some quick tips to consider when choosing a couples therapist:

1. Is the graduate training of the potential counselor in psychology, in social work, or in marriage and family therapy? In contrast to many other training programs in therapy and counseling, marriage and family therapists are specially?trained to see all problems in the context of relationships. It is a way of seeing how the problem may be embedded in other stories of attachment in each partner?s family system and in their current story. Looking at problems through the lens of the marriage and family therapist is akin to seeing a football game at the top of the bleachers instead of on the 50 yard line. It is a broader picture of what is really going on with the couple.

2. If the potential candidate trained as a marriage and family therapist, did they attend a COAMFT accredited graduate program?

3. Is the potential therapist trained at the masters or doctoral level in marriage and family therapy? Is the candidate a clinical intern who is collecting hours toward licensure or is the candidate already a licensed marriage and family therapist?

4. Does the potential therapist have experience being in therapy themselves? It has often been said that you cannot take a client farther than you have travelled yourself. Therapy is a kind of journey that allows you to go to emotional places that you may never have been before. This takes courage. You want a therapist who, from experience, has compassion for what you are up against in your efforts to get maxium gain from the therapy experience.

5. How long has the candidate been in practice?? Do they specialize in seeing certain relationship problems? Ages? Do they have a ?niche?? Special expertise?

Even after you?ve?selected a relationship therapist?and had a few sessions, I suggest that you?evaluate the therapy you are receiving. Here are a few areas to keep your eye on:

• Skilled marriage counselors will not just?sit there passively or nod their head ?empathically??while you and your?partner spend most of the session?arguing just like you do at home; they will interrupt your unproductive fights to offer guidelines and teach new relationship principles that will help you manage yourself in the challenging context of intimacy.
• Effective therapists will not get?triangled into your issues by choosing a side with whom to align themselves. They will never view one partner as the main cause of the marital problems; they will try to help you and your partner each be able to visualize your own part in the co-determined issues.? When partners are most anxious, it is human nature to try to ?blame? and point fingers. Good therapy work helps each partner manage themselves in a way to increase their respective capacity to own their own part and take responsibility for their own?improvement rather than trying to ?fix? their partner.
• An ethical psychotherapist?will never directly tell you to stay married or get divorced; in fact, giving such direct advice?is specifically addressed as not ethical in?the code of ethics of most professional associations.

To learn more about Dr. Cunningham?s systemic model of practice, visit her website at http://www.Cunninghamtherapy.comor call her at 619 9906203 for a complimentary phone consultation.

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Posted in Affordable Psychotherapy, Affordable Psychotherapy San Diego, counseling, Counseling San Diego, couples counseling, Couples Counseling San Diego, family-of-origin therapy, Marriage and family Therapy, marriage counseling, Marriage Counseling San Diego, MFT, multigenerational couples therapy, Murray Bowen, psychotherapy San Diego, Quick tips to choose a marriage and family therapist, relationship counseling, Relationship Counseling San Diego, Relationship Tips, Uncategorized | Tagged Affordable Relationship Counseling San Diego, counseling san diego, Couples Counseling, couples therapy, Family of Origin Counseling, glbt counseling, Marriage Counseling, marriage counseling san diego, Premarital Counseling, psychotherapy San Diego, Relationship Therapy San Diego, San Diego MFT, therapy san diego | Leave a Comment

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